BFI

Liverpool depended on heavy horses for most of its short-distance goods transport until the 1930s. There was no direct railway connection to much of the dock estate, so goods had to be carted out of the docks to warehouses or railway stations. Around 7,500 heavy horses worked in the city in the early 20th century. The May Day parades, held on the plateau in front of St George's Hall, were intended as a celebration of the animals and their work, and also maintained older rural traditions in the decoration of horses. The men who worked with the horses were important too, not least because Liverpool carters wielded a good deal of industrial muscle during the transport strikes of the early 20th century.

This film shows decorated heavy horses being paraded around the crowds on St George's Plateau, with several major Liverpool landmarks appearing briefly in the background. The Empire Theatre is prominent, as are the equestrian statues on the plateau, and the Wellington Column monument at the top of William Brown Street.

Graeme Milne

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